As we all know, the NBA brings together more than 400 talented players from all over the world, and strength and luck are indispensable to survive in a strong league. The reason why the star is gorgeous, his own ability is the most basic condition, and getting the team to reuse is the key, and the fall of Thomas Jr. is the best example.
But the league also has some "outlier" players, although the data is not gorgeous enough, but the role is irreplaceable! Seven stars whose inventory data does not reflect value:
7. Derek Rose (Knicks)
Last season's stats: 14.9 points, 4.2 assists, Knicks record 41 wins and 31 losses, 4th in the East
This season's stats: 12 points, 3 assists and 4 assists, the Knicks currently have an 18-20 record, 11th in the East
In 2020, in order to get rid of the status quo, the New York Knicks, who have been "rotten" for many years, hired the defensive master Thibodeau as the head coach, at this time, the biggest player in the team is Randall, a big forward with no personal honor, next to Barrett, Robinson, Gibson and other teammates are also unknown.
In order to improve the competitiveness of the team, Thibodeau chose to run counter to the small-ball era, abandoning attack and defense to attack, focusing on defensive warfare. Last season, the Knicks averaged 97.4 rounds per game, ranking first in the league, and the dragging pace of the game also made the audience have no viewing experience.
The boring position battle made the Knicks' defense indestructible, and the team's record began to rank in the top eight in the East, and with the addition of Derrick Rose in the middle of the season, the Knicks had plenty of offensive firepower on the bench, and the record began to climb.
In the end, the New York "gold-sucking" team returned to the playoffs after nine years with a fourth-place record in the East, which also made arrogant Manhattan fans point their anger at the Atlanta Hawks. But the gap between the comprehensive strength and star level of the two teams is too large, Randall only contributes 18 points per game, shooting less than 30%, if it were not for the veteran Rose averaging 19.4 points per game, the team is afraid that it will be "shaved" by the Eagles.
The Knicks management, which experienced the playoffs, began recruiting last summer:
Four-year, 117 million renewal team core Randle
Four-year,73 million signing of French striker Fournier
Two years 18 million signed Kemba. Walker
Three-year, $43.56 million extension for Derek Rose
Three-year, 27.77 million contract extension for center Noel
With the addition of walker and Fournier, two offensive players, Rose voluntarily sacrificed some of the ball and was willing to play a green leaf role on the bench, but the head coach of the defense with two "brushes" in Thibodeau was a mess on the offensive end. At present, the team's offensive efficiency is 108.2, ranking in the bottom ten of the league, and the signature position defense has also been disrupted by several players who will not defend, showing the status quo of "four different".
Rose is still the most stable player on the team, averaging sixth in the team, but the defensive efficiency on the field is as high as 103.3, ranking 42nd in the league (the first on the team), and the physical follow-up and supplement is the veteran's respect for the game. On the other hand, Randle and the new stars are even less focused on the game than a rookie player, and the team's poor record is justified.
Rose underwent surgery on his right ankle two weeks ago and is expected to miss two months, and without the steady sixth man on the bench, the Knicks' recent record has steadily slipped. Fortunately, the team currently has only one win gap with the Hornets, who are eighth in the East, and when Rose returns, there is still a good chance to impact the playoffs.
6. Cameron Payne (Sun)
Season stats: 10.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists
Shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three-point range
As the No. 14 pick of the 2015 draft, Payne had ups and downs in the early stages of his career, because of the impact of foot injuries, he was successively abandoned by the Thunder, Bulls, Raptors and Cavaliers, and left the NBA for as many months until the summer of 2020.
This year, the NBA suffered from the epidemic shutdown for several months, after the league announced the resumption, the Phoenix Suns, who wanted to impact the playoffs, chose to sign Payne to strengthen the point guard line, this "unintentional willow" operation, but changed the career of the youngster.
In the eight games after the resumption, Payne averaged 10.9 points per game, shooting 48.5% from the field and 51.7% from three-point range, helping the team win all. Although the Suns failed to make it to the playoffs as they wished, Payne Jr.'s performance won the appreciation of the Suns management, and he was awarded a one-year $1.98 million contract to return to the NBA.
As Paul's backup last season, Payne averaged 8.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range. According to statistics, in the 19 games in which Payne scored in double figures, the Suns eventually won 17 games, and the good play prompted the team to win, and Payne gained a foothold in the team with his own strength, and also successfully received a three-year, $19 million contract extension.
So far this season, Although Payne's efficiency on the offensive end has declined significantly, as the only player on the bench who can organize the team's offense, his excellent overall view on the court has become the key to the Suns' second team scoring, helping the team currently average 38.7 substitute points per game, ranking fourth in the league. His personal defensive efficiency is 100.8, ranking 14th in the league, and he is a proper defensive tip on the outside, which gives Paul great physical savings.
5. PJ-Tucker (Heat)
Season stats: 7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists
Shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range
In March last year, with Harden's departure to Brooklyn, the 36-year-old Tucker's tactical position in the team continued to decline, and in order to extend his career, the veteran had to apply for a trade with the team management. In the end, the Bucks and the Rockets made a deal, the former sent Augustine and Wilson, and got PJ Tucker and Kurutz from the Rockets, a sparse and ordinary deal that became the last piece of the bucks' puzzle to win the championship.
In the playoffs, the 36-year-old Tucker was given the responsibility of defending Superstars such as Butler and Durant by Coach Budenholzer, the veteran with a full defensive attitude, with a "close" top grab, so that Butler shot less than 30% of the shot, Durant was physically weak in overtime in the seven major battles, and on the Finals stage, Paul and Booker remained oppressive, and finally helped the Bucks successfully win the cup.
After his contract with the Bucks expired, Tucker opted for a two-year, $14.87 million contract from the Heat, both earning money (currently earning just $56.91 million in total career salary) and extending his career, with the 36-year-old veteran winning the respect of the Miami Heat with his highlights last season.
Coming to the Heat, a team with defense as the core, Tucker put more energy into the offensive end, once the Rockets fans are familiar with the bottom corner three-pointer, once again staged in the American Airlines Arena, his current 46.2% three-point shooting rate, second only to the Hornets' Cody Martin, ranking second in the league.
Tucker's data is inconspicuous, but it has become a "fragrant feast" in the eyes of the big team, and the biggest advantage is his big heart defensive ability at key moments. The Miami Heat have this veteran, they have the confidence against the Nets, Bucks and other strong teams, even durant, the strongest scorer in the game, do not want to be "death entangled" by Tucker in the seven-game series.
4. Lonzo Bauer (Bull)
Season stats: 12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.8 steals
Shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range
Last summer, the 2017 roster Langzo Ball became a restricted free agent whose management team wanted to find a salary contract with an annual salary of more than $20 million, because the Pelicans unilaterally refused, and the offensive, defensive and organizable backcourt player had to test the waters of the free market.
For this all-round point guard, the Clippers, Raptors, Bulls and other teams have thrown an olive branch for him, and after careful measurement, Ball finally chose the Bulls with a higher price. In order to complete the final deal, the Bulls and pelicans reached a first-and-last deal, with the former sending Satoransky, Temple and a second-round pick to the Pelicans, officially getting Lonzo Ball on a four-year, $80 million contract.
After coming to Chicago, Ball's role on the court was more definitive than that of the Pelicans, with an empty three-point shooter and the team's offensive engine. With DeRozan and Lavin around, Ball no longer needs to take on the task of scoring, and better help the two stars to complete the attack comfortably, which is the core task that head coach Donovan gives to the point guard who has a good overall view.
So far this season, Ball has done quite well in both of these tasks, and he currently shoots 41% of the three-point shooting rate, averaging three three-pointers per game, behind LaVine's 3.2, ranking second on the team. On the organizational side, Ball currently averages 5 assists per game, although it does not reach the career average, but considering that both Lavin and DeRozan have a certain assist ability in the team, such data is also good enough.
It is worth mentioning that the defensive line composed of Ronzo Ball and Caruso can currently contribute 3.8 steals per game, ranking first in the league's two-man defender group. The two contributed energy at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends to make the whole team more integrated, and also successfully helped the Bulls currently rank first in the East with a record of 25 wins and 10 losses.
3. Mike Conley (Jazz)
Season stats: 14.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals
Shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range
In the summer of 2016, the Memphis Grizzlies offered Conley a five-year, $153 million contract, a contract with an average annual salary of more than $30 million that instantly caused an uproar among outside fans, knowing that James's annual salary in the 15-16 season was only $22.97 million.
It was also at this time that Conley, the "gentleman of the wings", officially entered the vision of the majority of fans, as the 4th pick of the 2007 draft conference, in the 15 seasons of his career so far, he averaged 14.9 points, 3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, shooting 44% from the field, shooting 38.1% from three points, and the data was mediocre.
Selflessness and low profile have always been Conley's label, and he has never had a single technical foul in his career, simply a good gentleman in the NBA. The Grizzlies were able to pay him such a high salary, on the one hand, to recognize his strength, and on the other hand, to reward him for his unsung contribution to the team over the past decade.
In the summer of 2019, the Grizzlies got the second pick from the leader Morant, the explosive physical fitness and the experience of playing on the court, which made the Grizzlies who chose to rebuild see it as the core, in order to give the youngster plenty of room to grow, the Grizzlies traded veteran Conley to the Utah Jazz.
During his two seasons with the Jazz, Conley continued his steady play with the Grizzlies, averaging 15+3+5 per game, including nearly 40 percent from three-point range, making him Snyder's most trusted ball-handling player. With the arrival of the traditional point guard, Jazz core Mitchell has played more calmly on the offensive end, and the data has come to the ranks of superstars, with a crazy performance of averaging 30+ points per game in the playoffs for two consecutive years.
This summer, Jazz fans witnessed Mitchell's lonely plight in the playoffs (Conley missed several games due to injury), and in order to keep the big-picture veteran, the team's management offered him a three-year, $68 million contract extension. Because they know that center Gobert's role is limited to the defensive end, and the team wants to go further and needs Conley to play on the offensive and organizational ends.
2. Ju Holliday (Bucks)
Season stats: 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals
Shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three-point range
In the summer of 2020, the two-time regular season MVP winner Alphabet Brother has the player's own option to jump out of the contract to become a free agent, and the Bucks decisively gave Hill, Bledsoe, three first-round picks and two first-round picks to the right to defend in order to keep the superstar who has been cultivated by one hand, and got holliday, a defensive backcourt player.
Subsequently, Alphabet Brother felt the efforts of the team's management on the reinforcement end and decided to renew the contract with a 5-year, $228 million super-maximum contract, which also created the highest amount of a single contract in the league so far.
Holliday performed modestly in the regular season last season, averaging 17.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 50.3% from the field and 39.2% from three-point range, and his offensive efficiency far exceeded the average of players in the league's backcourt.
With innate defensive awareness and enthusiasm, Holliday was successfully selected for the league defensive team last season, the Bucks also renewed his contract for four years and $135 million in the middle of the season, and the Big Three lineup of Alphabet Brother + Middleton + Holliday will work together for at least four seasons.
In the playoffs against the strong, Holliday shot only 40.6% from the field, and the offensive efficiency is really not high, but the average of 8.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game ranks first in the team, supporting the Bucks organization and the defensive end. In last season's 23 playoff games, Holliday's cumulative plus-minus on the court was as high as +159, the highest in the league, and the real interpretation of the data can not reflect the true meaning of the on-field value.
So far this season, Holliday's stats still fall short of an All-Star level, but his all-round play on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends has helped the Milwaukee Bucks' overall strength rise a step. Compared to Trae Young (28.4+ 9.5), who has better statistics but a worse team record, Holliday is clearly more worthy of an All-Star spot.
1. Draymond Green (Warriors)
Season stats: 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.5 steals
Shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from three-point range.
It is difficult for fans to imagine that the Golden State Warriors, who were still struggling for playoff tickets last season, have "miraculously" returned to the league first place without high-priced reinforcements this season, behind which in addition to the play of Curry's superstar, the most important thing is that the team has found the defensive dominance of the original "death five small" period.
At present, the Warriors have lost an average of 101.5 points per game, an average defensive efficiency of 102.2 per game, limited the opponent's shooting rate to 42.6%, limited the opponent's average rebounds of 41.7 per game, and limited the opponent's average assists per game of 21.4 times, all ranking first in the league, such a terrible defensive data, but also become the basis for the Warriors to return to the championship ranks.
Behind the team's efficient defense, Draymond Green is undoubtedly the most core player, the player who entered the league with the 5th pick in the second round in the 2012 draft, and has won his career so far: one best defensive player, nine best defensive lineups, one steal king. Although his on-court movements are sometimes a little harsh, defensive commitment makes it difficult to find a player like him in the entire NBA league.
In recent seasons, Dream Green has completely abandoned the offense, averaging four consecutive seasons of points per game and failing to double-figure, but in terms of his good organization and rebounding, he has always maintained an 8+8 level. Such a player who is paranoid about defense has witnessed the highlights and lows of the Warriors, and in this season, he has helped the Warriors complete the counterattack in the way he is best at, which has become the guarantee of the team's winning rate of more than 80%.
"Dream chasing uniqueness has no less impact on the Warriors than any player, including Curry, if you want someone to join the MVP discussion, Dream Green is the player you're looking for, maybe his stats are different from other players, but he's always playing the game the way he does!" --- Jazz coach Snyder